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Monmouthshire principal area

Geography
Area - Total - % Water	Ranked 7th 850 km² ? %
Admin HQ	Cwmbran
ISO 3166-2	GB-MON
ONS code	00PP
Demographics
Population: - Total (2006 est.) - Density	Ranked 18th 87,900 Ranked 15th 103 / km²
Ethnicity	97.5% White
Welsh language - Any skills	Ranked 22nd 12.9%
MP	David Davies
AM	Nick Ramsay

Monmouthshire (Welsh: Sir Fynwy) is both a historic county and principal area in south-east Wales. The eastern and southern boundaries of the historic county and principal area are the same; however, the western two-fifths of the historic county are now administered by the other unitary authorities of Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, and Newport.

Main article: Monmouthshire (historic)

Monmouthshire was formed from the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales Act 1535. The county borders Gloucestershire to the east, Herefordshire to the northeast, Brecknockshire to the north, and Glamorgan to the west. Historically there is some ambiguity as to whether the county was part of Wales or England, but since 1974 it has been placed definitively in Wales.

The administrative county of Monmouthshire, and associated Lieutenancy were abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The area largely became part of the new local government and ceremonial county of Gwent.

Top performing secondary schools in Monmouthshire, 5 GCSEs, grades A-C, according to the latest inspection report from Estyn:

64% Chepstow School, Chepstow

59% Monmouth Comprehensive School, Monmouth

53% King Henry VIII School, Abergavenny

Main article: Monmouthshire Council

The current unitary authority was created on April 1, 1996 as a successor to the district of Monmouth along with the Llanelly community from Blaenau Gwent, both of which were districts of Gwent. The use of the name "Monmouthshire" rather than "Monmouth" for the area was mildly controversial, being supported by the MP for Monmouth, Roger Evans, but being opposed by Paul Murphy, MP for Torfaen (inside the historic county of Monmouthshire but being reconstituted as a separate unitary authority). ^[1] By area it covers some 60% of the historic county, but only 20% of the population. The council's administrative headquarters are at the former Gwent County Hall at Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran — outside of its own jurisdiction in the neighbouring borough of Torfaen. It is the only principal area in Wales administered from outside its boundaries. In comparison to the pre-1974 areas it covers:

• the former boroughs of Abergavenny and Monmouth
• the former urban districts of Chepstow and Usk
• the former rural districts of Abergavenny, Chepstow and Monmouth
• the former rural district of Pontypool, except the community of Llanfrechfa Lower
• the parish of Llanelly from the former Crickhowell Rural District in Brecknockshire

See List of places in Monmouthshire for a list of settlements in the principal area.

1. ^ Hansard, House of Commons, March 15, 1994, Column 782

• The Original Monmouthshire website Monmouthshire.org.uk
• BBC Wales on Monmouthshire
• Genuki National Gazetteer of 1868

v • d • e Administrative divisions of Wales
Principal areas established in 1996	Anglesey • Blaenau Gwent • Bridgend • Caerphilly • Cardiff • Carmarthenshire • Ceredigion • Conwy • Denbighshire • Flintshire • Gwynedd • Merthyr Tydfil • Monmouthshire • Neath Port Talbot • Newport • Pembrokeshire • Powys • Rhondda Cynon Taff • Swansea • Torfaen • Vale of Glamorgan • Wrexham
Counties and districts 1974 - 1996	CLWYD: Alyn and Deeside • Colwyn • Delyn • Glyndŵr • Rhuddlan • Wrexham Maelor DYFED: Carmarthen • Ceredigion • Dinefwr • Llanelli • Preseli Pembrokeshire • South Pembrokeshire GWENT: Blaenau Gwent • Islwyn • Monmouth • Newport • Torfaen GWYNEDD: Aberconwy • Arfon • Dwyfor • Meirionnydd • Ynys Môn - Isle of Anglesey MID GLAMORGAN: Cynon Valley • Merthyr Tydfil • Ogwr • Rhondda • Rhymney Valley • Taff-Ely POWYS: Brecknock • Montgomeryshire • Radnorshire SOUTH GLAMORGAN: Cardiff • Vale of Glamorgan WEST GLAMORGAN: Lliw Valley • Neath • Port Talbot • Swansea
Counties established before 1889	Anglesey • Brecknockshire • Caernarfonshire • Cardiganshire • Carmarthenshire • Denbighshire • Flintshire • Glamorganshire • Merionethshire • Monmouthshire • Montgomeryshire • Pembrokeshire • Radnorshire